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Redlining & White Noise Part 13 | Life After Hate with Sammy Rangel

In Part 13 of Redlining & White Noise, Charles Rotramel and Gregg Taylor speak with Sammy Rangel, Executive Director of Life After Hate. In this moving conversation, Sammy shares his story of gang violence, incarceration, and how he became immersed in violent extremism. He talks about his transformation from a life of hate to a life of compassion and the organization he co-founded to help others do the same.

Sammy is an author, social worker, peace activist, speaker, trainer, and father. His autobiography, Fourbears: The Myths of Forgiveness, chronicles his life from the physical and sexual abuse he endured as a child to his path of self-destruction that culminated in a 15 1/2-year prison sentence. In 2012, Sammy founded Formers Anonymous, a national self-help group based on the 12-step model for people addicted to street life and violence. In May 2015, he participated in the TEDxDanubia Conference: Balance On the Edge held in Budapest, where he spoke about the power of forgiveness.

In 2017, Sammy was honored in a special tribute to Everyday Heroes in the Global Campaign Against Violent Extremism. Sammy holds a Master of Social Work from Loyola University-Chicago. He previously served as a program director for a youth outreach program in his hometown of Racine for 16 years. He is also a second-degree black belt, practices mixed martial arts, and is a singer on a Native American drum.